Car truck



N. R. BRowNYl-:R

May 5, 1931.

` CAR TRUCK Filed March 21, 1930 Patented Msyfs, 1931 e Ij Fig. -2fis' an enlarged .transverse GFFI'C?fifi? il nnnsoir n. or DETROIT', moment. Ass'reNon Ammonium, or nn'morr, meinem, s coaronarron Oromo'.

` om 'muck Application med umn 21, 1930. serial no. 487,771.--

This invention relates to vehicles trucks, and more particularly to street car trucks of the kind having two motor driven axles --enclosed in load supporting axle vhousings that are connected together at their lcor-'.- responding ends by side springs. The prin` y vcipal object ofthe present invention is to f 1 rovide-:lor relative movement'of .the` axlevousings and side. springs transversely of the truck, thereby: preventing .the transmisssion of destructive lateral blows -and"shooks' j between the truck frame ,and'axle housingsj Other objects Vare lsimplicity and eheapness f.

- of construction'andcompactness of design;-l 15 The. invention consists. in the truck, .and in the construction, combinations `and arrange` inents` of; .parts `ihereinafter' anime-a.

Invum? f aecompaymg. arawin'wineh .20 forms part of the specification an l refer tol like parts whereverthey whereinlike symbols occur,

Fig; 1v is a. vertical' lnngauainal 'section j- A through a truck embodying my invention,

3 25 the Vsection-being taken through the driving axles between the wheels and the side springs on the near side of the truck, A

through; lone of the axle housings at one of A- 'S30 the-springseatafthe section Vb'eifi'g .tekenen` [the lm'eFig. 3; and Y v f 32is a vert 1cal section on the-linej-S-' -1n1..--"'

.-'Re Aerrin mounted in theaxle housings A. and operag1 to the.aecompanying-drawing:'v

3,5' my-inve11't1en.is shown 'in connection wit 'an electric-feartruck comprising two-axle -ryhousingS @mi-.elliptic longitudinalv side springsBjeonnectin :the endsofsaidaxle` v .fhousingaianda suits. leftruck bolster' C-con- .401. n'erti1ig-y saidsidesprings about midway of. f .ftheir!length.-'Rail'wlieels D are suitabl -se- I vfeured vizo-[axle.shaft.. seetions" E rotatably axle-shaft seetionsE ofthetwodierential *I driving axles are, preferably, driven by Vmeans'of electric mot'ors F mounted in a frame G located above the axle housings'A and. the longitudinalsidesprings B vwhich 505;- l I connect them together. 4The sidev rails ofthe l2 motor supporting frame G are secured intenl P ,mediate-'their -ends to 'the ends of the truck f i y bolsterC." The two ,driving-motors are pref- 'emblyiarmnge-"On oP-Positefsides of the'fssf'f truck .bolster- C; and each motor is operatively connected to drive the axle more distant from it byineans of a propeller shaft` H-.having universal joint connections vwith vthearmatureshaft; of the motor and the .worm propeller shaft of the driving axle.

Thel electricL car'truck thus `far described-is'v fully shown and described infAldenv and Brownyer Patent No. 1,748,747 dated Febin .lieu ci i further description. v

ruary 25 1930, to which reference is made 65 Each side spring B comprises'a series of leaves superpos'ed one upon the other, the two vlower .leaves 1 and 2` being long leaves. of

substantially the same length and the* re- 7o maining leaves being 'regularly shortened or graduated from top to bottom. At each end v section of each sidespringB the two long lower leaves g1 and 2 4thereof extend beneath the end,` of theaxle-housing A located adjacent v thereto andarev suspended therefrom by vmeans/'Oia swing-hanger member comprising two cooperatingspring seats f3 and 4 located one'above'and-the-other below the projecting ends of? said leaves. The upper spring seat 3,- is interposed between .the upper leaf 1 and' -thebottom oi the-axlehousmg A; and the lower'springseat' 4, fits under the lower leaf i f2; 'The uppfejr and-lower springseats 3. and

the ends of the -two lon lower leaves2 and 3 o the sprin B `dispose.

vertieal bolts v5 Awhich pass through almed'- j i apertures therefor in the four corners of sud-"T56 4 are secured" together, jwit therebetween, by means of our spring seats.

The spring opposing faces of the upper and lower spring seats 3 and a are provided on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the axle to which they are secured with recesses adapted to receive rectangular blocks 6 of rubber or other nonmetallic material. The two rubber blocks seated in the upper spring seat are separated by means of a cross member or bar 7 that extends from side to side of said spring seat crosswise ofthe side spring; and the lower spring seat 4 is likewise provided with a cross rib or bar 8 for separating the lower pair of blocks. Extending through a circular hole 9 in the upper leaf 1 and an elongated slot 10 in the lower leaf 2`at about the center of the spring seats is a dowel pin or studll. The dowel pin 11 ,is provided at its upper end with a laterally extending cross head 12 which fits within a longitudinal groove 13 in the underside of the cross bar 7 of the upper spring seat 3. The groove 13 has a transversely curved concave surface; and thecross bar or head 12 of the dowel pin 11 has a transversely curved convex upper surface adapted to lit the curved surface of said groove. The dowel pin 11 has a snug it in thehole 9 in the upper leaf 1; and the slot 10 in the lower leaf 2 is elongated lengthwise of the spring to permit relative movement 'between said pin and said lower leaf longitudinally of the latter.

The rubber blocks 6 are preferably provided with a convex covering to prevent excessive flow of the rubber under load. A thin plate 14, preferably of brass, is interposed between-the opposing surfaces of the lower leaf 2 and the lower pair of rubber supporting blocks for the purpose of permitting an easy sliding movement of said leaf relative to said blocks. The amount of compression applied to the rubber blocks when the bolts 5 are tightened is limited by abutting flanges 15 and 16 at the sides of the upper and lower spring seats 3 and 4, respectively.

The side flanges 16 of the lower spring seat are provided with tongues 16a that it within the ends of the groove 13 in the upper spring seat and thus serve to properly position the two seats with respect to each other.

The cooperating spring seats are suspended from the axle housing, for vertical swinging movement longitudinally thereof, by means of spaced hangers or arms 17 that project upwardly from the upper spring seat 3 on opposite sides of said axle housing and are provided at their upper ends with alined openings adapted to receive the ends of a horizontal pivot pin 18 disposed transversely of said housing. As shown in the drawing, the hangers 17 are rotatably supported on the pivot pin 18, which is mounted in a bore provided therefor in a boss 19 in the top o the axle housing, and is preferably held a ainst both rotary and endwise movement t erein by means of a set screw 20. For 'the purpose of taking the fore and aft thrust between the hanger arms 17 and the axle housing, the opposing side faces of said arms and said housing are provided with lugs 21 and 22, respectively, that are disposed in abutting relation.

The foregoing car truck has numerous advantages. The side springs serve to properly position the axles relative to each other and also resist driving and braking torque. The cushioning pads between the springs and spring seats permit the springs to dex; and they also serve to cushion the rail vibrations and thus deaden noise and minimize jarring and jolting. The dowel pins can oscillate in the upper spring seats as the rubber blocks distort slightly due to the torque strains on ythe axle housings and also when deflection occurs. The slot-and-pin connections between the dowel pins and the spring leaves 2 permit relative longitudinal sliding movement of said leaves with respect of the leaves 1 and spring seats; and they also permit tiltl ing movement of the portions of said leaves located between the spring seats without bending said leaves where they enter said spring seats.

lt is noted as an important advantage of the foregoing construction that it permits relative movement of the axle housings and side springs transversely of the truck, thereby preventing lateral blows and shocks from being communicated to the car body, and the momentum of the car body from acting with its full force on the truck frame and wheel flanges. As the axle moves laterally of the truck the spring seats are tilted, and thereby tend to twist the side springs from the end to the middle thereof; and said s rings, in.

resisting such twisting action, ten ,to return the spring seats and the axles to their original positions with the spring hangers` disposed vertically.

Obviously, the hereinbefore described construction admits of considerable modification without departing from the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown and described.

What l claim is:

1. A vehicle truck com rising axle `housings, members extending om axle housing to axle housing, a support for each end of housings with upwardly extending hangers, and pivot pins supported on said housings and supporting said hanger arms for verti cal swinging movement transversely of said truck.

' 3. A Vehicle truck comprising axle housings, leaf springsconnect'ing the corresponding ends of said housings, and a connection between each end of each spring and the adjacent end of an axle housing, said connection comprising upper and lower spring seats secured to eachother and to said spring, the upper spring seat being pivotally secured to said axle housing for verticali swinging movement transversely of said truck.

4. A vehicle truck comprising axle housings, lea springs connecting the corresponding ends of said-housings, and a connection between each end of each spring and the adjacent end of an axle housing, said connecabove and below said spring, the upper spring seat being providedv with upwardly extending hanger arms disposed on opposite sides of said housing in abutting relation thereto, and a pivot pin mounted on top of said housing transversely thereto for supporting said hanger arms for vertical swinging 'movement transversely of said truck.

Signed at Detroit, Michigan, this 18th day of March, 1930.

NELSON RJBROWNYER. v

p tion comprising upper and lower spring seats v secured to eachother and to said spring, the

upperspring seat bein provided with spaced hanger armsdispose on opposite sides ofsaid axle housing, and means on said axle housing for supporting said hanger` arms for vertical swinging movement transversely oi said truck.

5, A vehicle truck comprising axle housings, lea springs connectin the correspond-l ing 'ends of said housings an a connection between each end of each spring and the ad] acent end of an axle housmg, said connection comprising upper and lower spring seats secured to each other and-toA said. spring, the

' upper spring seat being provided with spaced titi hanger arms disposed on opposite sides of said axle housing, and a pivot pin mounted on said axle housing and supporting'saidhanger arms for vertical swinging movement ransver-e o sai tres.' t sly i dL ul v 6. A vehicle truck comprising axle housings, leai springs connecting the corresponding ends'oi sai housin s, and a connection between each end et eac spring and the adjacent end oi an'axle housing, saidconnec-A tion comprising upper and lowerspring seats secured to each other and to said spring below said axle housing, the upper spring seat being provided with upwardly extending hanger arms disposed lon opposite sides of said axle housing in abutting relation thereto, and a pir/'ot pin mounted on top of. said axle housing for supporting said hanger arms for vertical swinging movement transversely vof said-truck' 'i'. A vehicle truck lcomprising axle housings, leaf s rings connectmg the corresponding ends o said housings, and a connection 6 between each end of each spring and the adjacent end of an axle housing, said connection comprising upper and lowei` spring seats secured to each other and to said spring below said axle housing,v no etallic cush- 65 ioning blocks mounted in sai spring seats 

